title: Economic analysis in assessing technology in clinical laboratories.
abstract: In applying product-oriented cost analysis to economic decisions in the clinical laboratory, one should be especially aware of those areas in which the data used are only approximations. Many cost components are imbedded in accounts that are common to several areas of activity and cannot rationally be separated. Once cast into an elegant study, information of borderline validity may be obscured. the accuracy of the projections will also depend on the stability of the laboratory environment, and the available degree of detail and completeness of the data. Special care must be taken in the areas of supply and personnel since the actual behavior of these items can vary according to laboratory size, population served, service requirements, and management policies.
mesh_terms: D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D007753:Laboratories / Q000191:economics*; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical